Car-coupling.



P.L.JOHNSON.

CAR GOUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED 1111.14, 1910.

3,122,939. Patented 1110.29, 1914.

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CAB. GOUPLING.

APPLIGATloN FILED M1144, 1910.

1,122,939.. Patented Dee. 29, 1914.

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THE NORRIS PETERS Co.. PHoTo'LlTHO.. WASHINGTON. D. c. v

unirrED srnrpwsminlrnnr onnion.

FRANK L. JOHNSON, OF MCKEESPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING".

Application led April 14, 1910.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, FRANK L. JOHNSON, a resident of McKeesport, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to devices for cou pling railway, street and like cars. Its objects are to provide an improved coupling of the automatic type, in which the uncoupling is accomplished with an easy rolling movement instead of a frictional one; and to provide an improved construction of locking device in coupling and uncoupling.

A `further object is to provide a car coupler having these advantages which is strong in construction at all parts and not liable to breakage.

My invention also comprises a peculiar construction of draw head and locking member, in `which the locking member is provided with a locking wall and seating flange at right angles thereto, preferably below the locking wall and adapted to seat on a corresponding flange provided on the tail portion of the coupling'jaw when the device is unlocked, and before the cars are separated, the recess in the draw head in which the locking member operates being constructed to insure and facilitate this'operation as hereinafter more fully described.

It also consists in providing the locking member employed with a roller bearing element or roller below the seating face.

It also consists in certain other features and improvements in construction to be more specifically described below.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view of two coupling members in locked position embodying my invention, one of said members being shown in plan and the other in horizontal section. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section illustrating the device in unlocked or open position. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the draw head showing the device of my invention in locked position. Fig. 4 is a. like view showing the locking member raised to unlocked or lock set position; and Fig. 5 is a like view showing a locking member raised farther to un- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

Serial No. 555,485.

looked and open position of the coupling Jaw. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section illustrat- 1ng-a modification; and Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the modified form of draw head illustrated in Fig. 6, showing thelocking member in locked and lock set positions. Fig. 8 is a detail front view of the locking member illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive; and Fig. 9 is a detail side view of the same taken on the opposite side to that illustrated in Figs. 3, l and 5. Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of the locking member employed in the modification of Figs. 6 and 7, and Fig. 11 is a detail section of the same. Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional view of the roller bearing element as embodied in Figs. 1 to 5.

In Figs. l to 5 inclusive the locking member 1 has the roller bearing element or roller 2 journaled in a recess 3 in its lower portion. It is also preferably journaled on a pivot pin Ll which is shown clearlv in Fig. 12, being preferably fastened in the locking member 1 by upsetting the metal around the base of the. pivot pin, as at 5. The locking member 1 is carried within the recess 7 in the draw head S, the said recess extending as shown in an upwardly flaring direction from the draw shank 9 to the upper portion of the draw head 8. The locking member 1 has an angular top portion 12 of greater width than the narrowest portion taken longitudinally of the recess 7 between the rear face 13 and forward face 1/1. 'lhe locking member 1 passes through the forward portion 16 of the recess 7 in the coupling head 8 in which the tail portion 17 of the knuckle or coupling jaw 18 plays. The link 11 is conveniently connected to the locking member 1 by the pin 19 as illustrated in Figs. 1, 3 and 8.

The coupling jaw 18 is carried on the pivot 19a in the draw head, and its tail portion 17 is provided with the horizontally disposed tapering flange Q0. The tail portion 17 is of the curved construction shown so that in uncoupling it will be free to pass the locking member 1 when it is raised, as in Fig. 4. The locking member 1 is provided with the horizontally disposed i shoulder 21 which registers with and rests upon the flange 20 on the tail portion 17 of the coupling jaw in lock set position, as more specifically described below. The locking member 1 has also the forwardly and vertically disposed wall 23 which eXtends from its top portion downwardly and preferably to the horizontally disposed shoulder 21, as illustrated clearly in Figs. 8 and 9. The wall 23 forms with the main body portion 24 of the locking member, a recess 25 having the curved bottom portion 25 in which the end 26 of the taill portion 17 of the coupling jaw fits and bears against the wall 23 when the car coupler is locked. The curved bottom portion 25 fitting beneath the coupler jaw tail prevents rising of the locking member during movement or the train.

The recess 7 in the coupling jaw extends downwardly into the lower portion of the draw head 8, its lower portion 7 being of angular' shape in longitudinal section, as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The lower portionl of the locking member 1 is constructed of a shape adapted to fit in the lower portion 7l of the recess 7 when the cou` pling is locked as shown in Fig. 3. The upper angular portion 12 of the locking member has the face 12 which extends, when in locked position substantially parallel with the face 13, and terminates in the pivot edge 27.

In operation, considering the coupling jaw in locked position as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, the locking member is first raised through the link 11 by any suitable lever device (not shown) or by hand, until it assumes the position illustrated in Fig. .4. Here it will be noticed that the shoulder 21 ofthe locking member 1 is in engagement with 'the like flange 20 of the tail portion 17 of the coupling jaw. Then in this position thecoupling jaw is obviously not locked, as the vertically disposed wall23 of the locking member has been carried past or above the end portion 26 of the coupling jaw. This action is accomplished by the raising motion of the link 11 pivoted tothe forward top portion of the locking member, in conjunction with the effect of the forward face 14 of the upper portion 7 of the recess 7, against which the angular end 12 of the upper por` tion 12 of the locking member bears during this action. In operation, the locking member 1 is jerked `by the train hand into the upper portion 7 of the recess, and then allowed to fall back so that the flanges 21 and 20 of the locking member and coupling jaw respectively register, thereby both unlocking the coupling device and projecting or supporting the locking member upon the tail 'portion ofthe coupling jaw. This supporting and registering of the shoulder 21 and flange 20 is insured bythe relative construc- =tion of therear bulging face 28 and rear up- ;per face 13 of the locking member 'and recess respectively, as is apparent from an inspection of Figs. 3 and 4.

in FiO'. 2.

To couple the cars it is merely necessary to move them together as in other couplings of the automatic or Janney type. In the device illustrating my invention the locking member 1 which has been allowed to fall back into the position illustrated in Fig. 3 is raised by the incoming tail portion 17 of the coupling jaw, which bears against the face 23 of the locking'member and lifts the same until the end portion 26 has passed the wall 23, when the locking member drops back to locking position automatically.

Where it is desired to open a closed coupling and positively throw the coupling jaw into opened or receptive position, as when the car is already separated from other cars, the link 11 is raised somewhat farther than is necessary in the operation described above, until the locking member 1 assumes the position illustrated in Fig. 5. Here the joint action of the raising coupling link and the opposite faces 14 and 13 of the recess 7 forces the edge 27 of the locking member l into contact with the seat or angle 31 of the upper face 31 in the upper portion`7 of the recess 7. The continued raising thereby `turns the locking inember onvthe pivot edge 27 until it assumes the position of Fig. 5.

The lower portion 15 of the locking member .is thereby thrown forwardly and the coupling jaw positively opened. The operation is a rolling one, however, due to the roller bearing 2, which engages the curved and rounded face 29 of the tail portion 17, thereby providing an easy rolling movement. Besides rendering the uncoupling operation more easy and smooth, the rolling element alsoV removes to a great extent the necessity of machining or filing the cast metal parts of the coupling device.

Figs. 6, 7 10 and 11 illustrate a modified coupling device in which the roller bearing 33 is carried on a horizontal axis by the pivot pin 34 in the locking member 35. In this device the locking member 35 is moved in a substantially constant vertical direction in the slot 36 by the link 37. The tail piece 38 of the coupling jaw 39 enters a horizontally tapering slot 40 in the` draw head 41,A

and has the sloping lower face 42. The locking member 35 is provided with a flange 43 which is adapted to lock with the end 44 of thetail piece 38. The horizontallyV disposed fiange 45 of the draw head 41 in the slot 36 is adapted to register with and support the corresponding flange 47 in the locking member 35. The operation of the device is similar to that of the embodiment described above, as illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. 7. The roller bearing 33 is at all times during the active unlocking movement oi the tail piece 3S in contact with the lower face 42 thereof so as to provide continuous rolling contact, and prevent wear. As illustrated in full lines in Fig. 7 the locking member 35 isin raised position and the flange 4:5 has become seated in the groove 4:7 of the locking member, so as to leave the device in unlocked and lock set position.

A further lifting of the locking member would result in bringing the roller bearing 33 into contact with the face l2 of the tail piece 38, and in positively throwing out the coupling jaw 39 to open position. rlhe dotted position 35 of the locking member corresponds to the locked position of the device, the roller being shown at 33.

By my construction of draw head and locking member, especially7 as illustrated in the embodiment of Figs. l to 5, all points of pressure are well reinforced and weakness is eliminated. There is thus great strength across the section @-5 against which the coupling jaw and locking member bear; and in the region c-cZ, which is often a point of weakness.

What I claim is:

l. In car couplers, the combination with a draw head, a coupling jaw having a tail portion provided with a horizontally disposed curved ledge, a locking member vertically movable in said draw head and proidded with a recess adapted to receive the nose of said tail portion, and having a vertically disposed side wall adapted to engage the end of said tail and lock the coupling jaw, a bottom portion to said recess adapted to engage said tail portion in locked position, said bottom joining a horizontally disposed shoulder, and means `for lifting and locking vmember arranged to bring the horizontally disposed shoulder and ledge into register to thereby move the vertically disposed wall from locking position and leave the coupling jaw in closed but unlocked position.

2. In car couplers, the combination of a draw head, a recess therein, a coupling jaw pivoted therein and having a curved tail portion provided with a longitudinally disposed curved ledge, a locking member in said recess, and means for raising and lowering said locking member, a recess in said member, a curved bottom portion to said recess, a horizontally disposed shoulder formed on the underside of said bottom portion adapted to be engaged with said ledge on said tail portion, a vertically disposed side wall above said shoulder, and a vertically pivoted roller carried by said CH3; afs) .member adapted to contact with said curved tail portion in uncoupling. v

In car couplers, the combination `of a draw head, a recess therein, a coupling .member pivoted therein and having a curved tail portion provided with a hori zontally disposed curved ledge, a locking member in said recess, means for raising and lowering said locking member, a recess formed in said locking member having a curved bottom portion, a horizontally disposed shoulder below said bottom on said locking member adapted to be engaged with said ledge on said tail portion, a vertically disposed wall on said locking member above said horizontally disposed shoulder, and a spirally beveled lower portion below said recess on said locking member having a crown face roller adapted to contact with said tail portion of said coupling member.

et. In car couplers, the combination of a draw head, a coupling jaw pivoted thereto and having a tail. portion, a recess in said draw head and a locking member movable therein, said recess having a lower portion below said tail portion of said coupling jaw and an upper portion above the same, said locking member having a vertically disposed side wall and a curved rear wall uniting and forming a recess, the lower end of said rear wall forming a bottom portion to said recess adapted to engage said. tail portion when said member is in locked position, a horizontally disposed shoulder formed on the under side of said bottom portion, an outwardly curved rear face, and a rearwardly extending angular top portion above said curved face, said tail portion having a horizontally disposed curved ledge, and the upper portion of said draw head recess having a rearwardly bulging forward face and a rearwardly sloping top face forming a seat, a link for raising said locking member pivoted to the forward top portion thereof, whereby in uncoupling, the locking member is iirst raised by said link and said horizontally disposed shoulder and ledge are brought into engagement to leave the coupling in unlocked and closed position, and by further raising the locking member is caused to pivot on the angular seat and swing the jaw to coupling position.

5. In car couplers, the combination of a draw head, a recess therein, a coupling member provided with a tail portion pivotally movable in the forward portion of said recess, said recess having an upper and lower portion, a locking member movable in said recess and having a lower portion provided with a roller bearing and an upper portion adapted to lock said tail portion when said lower portion is seated in the lower portion of said recess, horizontally disposed flanges on said tail portion tivel)T open the coupling member by the and coupling member, respectively, an answinging of said looking member and furgular extension in the upper portion of said ther raising of said link.

i coupling member and a link pivoted forln testimony whereof, I the said VFRANK 5 Wardly thereof, said recess having an in- L. JOHNSON, have hereunto set my hand. `Wardly projecting rear Wall adapted to FRANK-L JOHNSON bring said flanges into engagement When said coupling member is raised to unlocked YWitnesses: position and said roller bearing being F. W. KAY, 10 adapted to roll on said tail portion and posi HALLOCK C. SHERRARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, I). C. 

